Small plane crashes in Arizona; 1 dead and 5 hurt

Sunday, May 11, 2014

PAGE, Ariz. (AP) — A single-engine plane carrying a pilot and six French tourists crashed while landing at a northern Arizona airport, killing one person and injuring five others, authorities said.

The aircraft hit the ground and toppled over near the airport runway amid windy conditions Saturday afternoon in Page, the center of a tourist area about 200 miles north of Phoenix, Page Police Capt. Ray Varner said.

"The plane hit the sand and flipped over upside down," Varner told The Associated Press.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the Cessna 207 crashed 400 to 500 feet short of the runway.

One passenger died after being rushed to a hospital, while another was taken to Flagstaff Medical Center. Varner didn't have injury details but said the passenger was apparently in stable condition.

He said four others received hospital treatment for minor injuries and were released, while the seventh person was unhurt. The pilot was among the injured.

The aircraft had been on a sightseeing tour, Varner said.

Both the captain and the FAA website listed the aircraft's registered owner as American Aviation Inc. of Salt Lake City.

A person answering the phone there late Saturday said they didn't have any information.

Varner said that the hometowns of the passengers were still being determined, but at least one of them was from the French city of Le Havre.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash. Both Gregor and Varner said it was being investigated.